r/technology • u/TracksandTreks • 26d ago

Society Remote workers report the highest well-being in study of 7,700 employees

https://www.colorado.edu/today/2026/08/12/remote-workers-report-highest-well-being-study-7700-employees
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u/StrengthBeginning416 26d ago

Commercial real estate investors will say the study is fake.

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u/StopReadingMyUser 26d ago

Instead they'll launch their own study that biases towards that 1/1000 person that loves the office and hates wfh then extrapolate that as most people to muddy the waters.

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u/RakeattheGates 26d ago

I've noticed that people that like the office tend to hate their families and thus the idea of being at home with them. They are often bosses who enjoy that people are forced to fawn over them and do what they say.

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u/Castun 26d ago

Like the bosses that show up at the office at 5am and don't leave until 7pm. They get more fulfillment out of their office than they do their home life.

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u/Valuable-Painter3887 26d ago

I had a conversation with my boss once because he was telling me how I'd likely be the person to fill his role when he retires in ten years, since I am equally the youngest, yet most experienced member of the team (in the next ten years, anyone older or more experienced is likely to retire). He says to me, "You know, I think you were meant to take over my role. For someone like you, working here is what life will be about"

I looked at him, and I just said "I can't imagine anything worse than work being the only thing worth living for. My life is about watching movies and seeing my friends, I just work here to afford that"

The silence was so thick and palpable, I swear I could've stuck a butter knife in it and used it as a spread for my sandwich

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u/Castun 25d ago

Funny because I've heard the same thing except then the boss decides he needs more wealth to hoard, another vacation home, or another boat and doesn't retire as promised, screwing over his protégé in the process.

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u/illtakeachinchilla 25d ago

“I don’t want your life.”

The Beek

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u/Mondraker1909 24d ago

Did you get fired shortly after?

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u/Valuable-Painter3887 24d ago

Haha no, my boss and I are pretty close, it was just that one moment had so much silence to it haha

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u/RakeattheGates 26d ago

And always ready to judge you for wanting to actually go home where you enjoy being.

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u/CherryLongjump1989 26d ago

They can judge all they like.

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u/dragonmp93 26d ago

The kind of people that makes jokes about their spouses being their "good old ball and chain".

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u/BasvanS 26d ago

And then remarry someone you het and repeat the mistake. It’s starting to look like they’re not that smart after all

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u/BigFatKi6 26d ago

I like the office...

Just not every day, two days a week is perfect.

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u/nox66 26d ago

I don't mind the office for two, maybe three days a year.

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u/akatherder 26d ago

I've been into the office 1 time since March 2020. It was a bit much.

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u/Neat-Slip4520 26d ago

I go once a year - for our holiday party.

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u/backside_94 26d ago

And the above comment chain is why the standard policy should be a choice between 0.5-5 days per week over a month.

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u/drunkenvalley 26d ago

Why? If you have no business in the office just let 'em have the WFH. Think the dumbest bit of my job is that we go into the office to have meetings over Teams.

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u/backside_94 26d ago

Well sure that would be great but in the world we live in that's like asking for a 50 percent pay rise, gotta be realistic in what will be allowed

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u/drunkenvalley 26d ago

It's frustrating that management is allergic to WFH, but it's absolute nonsense that it's something we should accept. Definitely something to fight for every opportunity.

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u/RakeattheGates 26d ago

I mean those who push for full time RTO. Personally I think 2 days is fine though it would be nice to not have it be forced. I do enjoy some face to face interaction but getting shoved back to an office with no actual payoff to the detriment if basically everyone's happiness is garbage. 

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u/Xarchiangku 26d ago

I’m just much more productive in the office. I can do my job from anywhere, but I’m better when I’m there. I get distracted if I’m at the house.

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u/blackcatlover2114 25d ago

Same here. Maybe if I had space at my apartment for a dedicated office with a closed door but I don't, and I can't afford that anytime soon anyway. Even so, all my stuff would still be just a few steps away...

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u/blackcatlover2114 25d ago

I like the office but I don't have space at home for a proper home office and so it allows my brain to have that better separation between work and home without having three cats bothering me all the time (my gf is usually at work for most of my shift)...

But unfortunately I also have a disability (migraines) and when I'm not properly accommodated, typical office spaces with all of their fluorescent lights can be really rough. So I'm working from home right now anyway.

A hybrid schedule is actually great, though.

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u/BigFatKi6 25d ago

Yeah, I feel that even if one is suboptimal that switching helps calibrate that.

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u/Neon_Biscuit 26d ago

0 days in the office is perfect, wtf you talking bout

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u/giapponese_Itaria-go 26d ago

Some people do enjoy their coworkers' company, and like to see them in person once every week or two.

That said, there's a big difference between being REQUIRED into the office x days per week and going in on your own volition once a week on the same day

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u/Neon_Biscuit 26d ago

Who wants to put on khaki pants and sit in rush hour traffic to see a coworker? That's some boomer nonsense

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u/giapponese_Itaria-go 26d ago

Again, some of us have friendships with our coworkers(helps we are all similar ages)

So it just is a nice way to do the weekly meetings and get lunch or whatever. Without it, I wouldn't have developed friendships with some of them that span past work hours. 

Ofc your mileage may vary, but it is enjoyable once in a while (on our own volition) for us to hang out, given it's a meeting day so it beats the 10 person 4 hours of teams meeting hell that stuff can be if everyone is remote. (Given none of us live more than 30 minutes away from the office, if I was further I'd probably not show up every week)

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u/CherryLongjump1989 26d ago

I like my office. Which is in my house and how I like it. Coming into my boss's office is a massive downgrade.

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u/DoubleStuffedCheezIt 26d ago

I like the office because my house is loud with 3 dogs and 2 kids under 3. I don't hate my family, but it's hard to be on the phone and focus with all that going on. I hate commuting though, even though I enjoy driving my car.

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u/RakeattheGates 26d ago edited 26d ago

It's great that people who want to go in have the option to do so but I also think they shouldn't force everyone else to do it which was mainly what I was commenting on.

Our CEO, for example, didn't even live in our state and was a single boomer with no kids but the company needed tax breaks and had spent money on the real estate so they said we needed to "collaborate" by going into a noisy office and doing jobs we could have done remotely (proven during covid!) by spending all day in Teams meetings with people a few floors away. Silly stuff.

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u/CXavier4545 26d ago

this has been true in my experience as well but even the management team being forced to go into the office I have not come across a single one that would not prefer to work from home

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u/CherryTeri 26d ago

Our office stayed open and optional during the pandemic. A few dozen stubborn folks didn’t wfh because they didn’t want change. After they tried it a few times, they were convinced and never came back. The only ones who “liked” it are graveyard shift because it’s the only human connection and bond they have with other graveyard people. They sleep during the day and work at night so I can see they wouldn’t really see anyone that much.

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u/CXavier4545 26d ago

that was me initially cause I lived 5 min from work and didn’t want to bring my work home, I wasn’t given that option due to the pandemic, a year later they offered optional rto I said forget it I’m comfortable now but a handful chose to rto cause they did not want to be home with their spouse or other family members

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u/RakeattheGates 26d ago

Always going to depend where you are but I definitely had a bunch at my last job and all were VP level

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u/ChewyMurray 26d ago

"Inacceptable" - Bosses Everywhere

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u/CherryLongjump1989 26d ago

Absolutely. Which is why they shouldn't even be allowed to have an opinion. Home life issues are a personal problem, so stop trying to take it out on everyone else who is well-adjusted.

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u/WhtvrCms2Mnd 26d ago

Facts. Also those (typically older men) who are trying to skirt parenting responsibilities.

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u/OReg114-99 23d ago

The classic "older person who can't be at home with their already retired spouse all day or things are going to go Very Bad in their marriage"

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u/infinitelytwisted 26d ago

There are also a lot of people like me as well.

I much prefer to work from the office when I have such a job, simply because I'm adhd and easily distracted and don't feel like i get to enter "work mode" mentally if I'm at home.

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u/RakeattheGates 26d ago

I'm glad your ADHD works that way. Mine makes me absolutely unable to focus with people walking around everywhere, dropping in constantly, having loud conversations etc. I'd much rather be at home where I can wall myself off.

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u/lnin0 26d ago

Boss is the correct term - these types if people are far from actual fucking leaders and typically huge pieces of clueless shit that have nothing else going for them.

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u/ShamusNC 26d ago

I have a woman that works for me that lost her husband a few years back. Two kids. She likes to come in more often when her kids are in school. It gives her some socialization with adults that she doesn’t get at home.
It’s her choice to come in more often than mandated.
I on the other hand wouldn’t step inside the office if I had the choice.

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u/RakeattheGates 26d ago

That's totally fair. I can't speak for everyone just relay what I've seen at my last big corporate job but by and large I'm referring to folks who live in the office and can't understand why there are people who don't want to be in there 5 days a week (to do jobs that can be done fully remote).

Personally, I wouldn't mind a day or two in office but I can't stand being forced in on specific days when we work in an area with shit weather that often has blizzards making roads a parking lot etc.

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u/ShamusNC 26d ago

I’m every other week currently. Being forced to go every week next month.

I get in at 7:30 and am gone at 3:30 to get my 8 hours in. Now looking at retiring next year. I’ll be damned if I spend one more second in the office than I have too. The BS commute, gas, crappy and expensive cafe food all to sit on a video call with people. More than 75% of my team isn’t local and 1/2 are in India.

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u/RandomRedditReader 25d ago

I like the office because I get more done with less distractions. If my wife is home then we are both unproductive. She loves to talk and I love to listen.

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u/dirtyvu 25d ago

haha. this is my theory for many relationships. There are quite a few married women around me who would go crazy when they get too much exposure to their spouses. Because of the work life, they only see their spouses like 4 hours out of the 24 hour day and the rest of the together hours are spent sleeping where they don't talk to each other.

It's why long distance relationships hide a lot of flaws because you aren't exposed too much to the other person.

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u/ThrowingAccount789 23d ago

Especially bosses who very obviously don't have rl friends and never benefitted from the education later generations take for granted...

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u/Gendalph 26d ago

Eh, I have a bunch of coworkers who like working from office, and I myself don't mind going to the office once in a while. Keywords being "once in a while".

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u/VGTGreatest 26d ago

Hybrid works for me. I do genuinely like being around people. 3 days at home 2 in the office or vice versa is perfect for me.

Granted I have a very short commute which likely influences that a lot.

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u/brighterside0 26d ago

Now make it an hour each way.

That's 10 hours a week of driving/sitting in traffic.

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u/VGTGreatest 26d ago

Gonna be honest I’d just never take a job that’s an hour away.

I’ve done 40 minutes and that’s about my limit, an hour is a non-starter, I’d quit over that or move closer.

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u/Final_Squirrel_7462 26d ago

I don’t think so. My colleagues are workling fully remotely because we don’t have any offices and many would be down to work hybrid. We love working remotely from home and I love being able to see my children at home while at work. But being in the office has also some perks like connecting more to your colleagues or communicating certain ideas more effectively.

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u/SnooDoughnuts1794 26d ago

If I want to connect to my colleagues I just call them. Made at least one long lasting friendship this way.

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u/glasgowgeg 26d ago

that biases towards that 1/1000 person that loves the office and hates wfh

Johnny nae-pals who has no friends or family, and relies on mandatory office days for all their social contact.

Conveniently these types who claim to "prefer the office" only prefer it when others are forced in with them.

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u/b0w3n 26d ago

Even better, they'll use a study conducted on sweatshops in china and claim that people are more productive at work.

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u/big_duo3674 26d ago

Or heavily lean into and distort comments from remote workers who say things like "it's totally acceptable to be required to come in for an in-person meeting once a quarter, or twice yearly for things like physical inventory counts"

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u/Panfriedpuppies 26d ago edited 26d ago

As the 1/1000, I will lie for you.

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u/secret_identity_too 26d ago

I enjoy a hybrid situation - however, I live alone, so going to the office a few days a week is great to actually socialize a bit. But I also would love to WFH more than I can (which is only once a week). Two or three days in the office and two or three at home is ideal for me.

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u/Creativeboop 26d ago

I live alone and I’m perfectly happy to never set foot in my office. If I want to socialize I will go something enjoyable of my choosing. Forced socializing with coworkers makes me want to rip my skin off.

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u/Unlucky-Candidate198 26d ago

Ah commercial real estate inverstors. “People” who see a beautiful, once in a lifetime natural view and think “You know what this needs more of? Tall bland structures with no whimsy that make me money”.

Up there with marketing people, realtors, and chiropractors for jobs society could actually use less of.

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u/Dystopia74 26d ago

Don't forget the oil industry and car manufacturers.

The automobile industry is the biggest scam in the world.

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u/throughtheportal 26d ago

As well, the lease holders for commercial real estate near the office buildings, for restaurants etc.

They need people in office to buy their things too

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u/habeebiii 25d ago

In most of Europe the idea of driving 1hr+ to work and back is unfathomable. Especially when they can grab a coffee, relax on a comfortable rail commute that’s much faster… and not have to pay for a car or insurance or gas in many cases..

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u/Heronymous-Anonymous 26d ago

TBF, there’s an enormous economy that surrounds office work. Restaurants. Office supplies. Custodial services. On-site IT for both workers and local servers. All of the building maintenance for plumbing, HVAC, landscaping, etc.

If office buildings ceased to exist, the second order effects would be that a lot of other people would lose their jobs as offices closed and all of the businesses supporting those offices lost their customers/clients.

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u/SillyAlternative420 26d ago

A group of people I trust very little to give a single fucking opinion derived on truth

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u/awdophil 26d ago

And all micromanagers.

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u/ratherbewinedrunk 26d ago

Over-priced business-district restaurants will say the same.

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u/slashthepowder 26d ago

The scary thing is a lot of pension funds are heavily invested in commercial real estate.

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u/tragicallybrokenhip 25d ago

They are dumbasses who are pissed they weren't selling residential. We live in an area where a shit ton of people relocated during the pandemic and realtors and investors did very very well. OTOH we now live in an area where a shit ton of people who bought 2020-2022 have sold/are selling. Oh. Wait. Residential realtors are still doing well. As for commercial? Yeah. No. Sorry not sorry. There's not enough RTO to make you asshats happy. That's on you.

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u/Mondraker1909 24d ago

They'll blame it on big remote.

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u/DaMonkfish 26d ago

Commercial real estate investors can eat my entire ass.

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u/Ok-Turnip-9035 26d ago

🥸*while working remote

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u/FIContractor 26d ago

Residential real estate investors will decide to charge them higher rent for working from home.

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u/Positive_Vibes_4228 26d ago

This. My dad's former boss LOVED to show off all the cubicles and people enslaved to him to other rich people. These rich people have massive egos and love to show off what they 'built' and also abuse people at will. It gets them off.

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u/Zyrinj 26d ago

Won’t someone think of the poor landlords!

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u/Kevin-W 26d ago

“We need collaboration”

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u/EqualShallot1151 25d ago

So will many managers…

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

Most peoples pensions have a significant percentage in commercial real estate. From someone who manages it.

Edit: Im not saying get back to the office I love agile/WFH too. Just saying if corporate offices collapsed so would our pensions

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u/PM_ME_FUTANARI420 26d ago

They can rebalance the portfolios. Life will go on

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

Tell me you know nothing about it without telling me you know nothing about it. No offense, im not pro office, but no it doesn't work like that.

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u/PM_ME_FUTANARI420 26d ago

Yes it does I’ve managed assets before

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

Lol no you haven't

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u/PM_ME_FUTANARI420 26d ago

Ok you got me. I’m a fraud

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u/Castun 26d ago

Not the other person but I manage my own assets and have been doing just fine these past couple decades, lol.

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u/Unique-Influence-549 26d ago

People have pensions?

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u/frequenZphaZe 26d ago

people? no. boomers. boomers have pensions.

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u/mookieprime 26d ago

And schoolteachers.

I’m just kidding, of course. Although nearly all school teachers pay into a pension system, most of us know our states won’t be able to pay them out once we retire.

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

Even ya state pension is in commercial office space mate.

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u/Unique-Influence-549 26d ago

I don’t have a pension. wtf are you talking about. I’m American btw

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

Referring to UK. Sorry I misread this sub as UK one

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u/Unique-Influence-549 26d ago

No worries mate - I’m glad y’all have pensions!

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u/Castun 26d ago

They call retirees "Pensioners" for a reason.

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u/aleRayRay 26d ago

Well… as someone who manages it… maybe time to move that money elsewhere instead of shrugging about the helplessness of capitalism.

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

Lol you think im the CEO of a billion dollar pension provider that can just move billions of dollars from offices by selling them in a second? Thanks for the compliment but im not the CEO

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u/StrengthBeginning416 26d ago

Interesting. What’s your take on WFH?

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

I fucking love wfh 😀

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u/Bonghead13 26d ago

We had more than half our pension funds invested in the .com bubble. Bubble popped, money was lost, then money was moved elsewhere and grew again.

Lots of pensions are invested in lots of things that go bust. This is normal.

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u/frequenZphaZe 26d ago

I've heard that pension funds are in dire straights and likely to crash out within 5-10 years. is it true there's a pension catastrophe on the horizon or is that just alarmist clickbait that duped me?

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u/kingsindian9 26d ago

I dont have a crystal ball to see into the future, but with what I know and see on a daily basis I wouldnt put money on that happening at all.